Concord Point Lighthouse

Concord Point Lighthouse is found in Maryland at the northern part of the Chesapeake Bay.  We visited this historic lighthouse in August of 2014.  The lighthouse is a rather short white conical light that sits just feet away from the water.  It was first lit in 1827.  

Although it was closed to visitors at the time when we visited, I was still able to walk the grounds and take photos of the lighthouse from various angles.  The cloudy skies of the day helped to give the photos an interesting look.

In the photo above you will see the keepers house which is located just across the street from the lighthouse. 
For more information on Concord Point Lighthouse stop by my Hubpage at Concord Point Lighthouse Here is a greeting card I made from my photos of Concord Point Lighthouse.

Concord Point Lighthouse-Maryland Greeting Card by lighthouseenthusiast

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Hereford Inlet Lighthouse on the Jersey Shore

Hereford Inlet lighthouse is a beautiful Victorian house that has a lighthouse on it.  What a wonderful place for the lighthouse keeper and his family to live.  This lighthouse was built in 1874 and certainly must be one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the Jersey shore.

I visited the lighthouse on a beautiful August morning and was delighted by the wonderful lighthouse and the grounds that were full of gorgeous flowers.  All around the lighthouse grounds were paths with benches where you could sit and enjoy the beautiful view.  The back path in the garden leads out to a boardwalk along the shore.  What a great place to take a stroll.  Here are a view of the photos I took in the gardens.

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Marblehead Lighthouse

Photographing a Historic Lighthouse

Marblehead Lighthoues is located in Marblehead Ohio on the banks of Lake Erie.  This lighthouse is the oldest active lighthouse on the Great Lakes.  It was first lit in 1822.  It is a beautiful white conical lighthouse with a red dome and parapet.  The lighthouse is located in Marblehead State Park.  During the summer months the public may climb the 50 foot tower and stop by the Keepers House which has been refurbished and converted to a museum.  

On a recent visit we stayed across from the lighthouse at The Lighthouse Resort so we had easy access to the lighthouse grounds during our stay.  I was able to go over to the lighthouse during the open hours and then I returned early in the evening and again at sunrise the next morning.

The photo to the right was taken in the evening and you will note the shadows from the setting sun against the lighthouse walls.  There are several big boulders leading up to the lighthouse and then flatter rocks as it nears the banks of Lake Erie

I returned the next morning about an hour before sunrise.  In this next photo you will note the green light shining from the lighthouse in the early morning hour.

Here is the photo I was waiting to get.  Sunrise over Lake Erie.

If you would like to read more about my adventures at Marblehead Lighthouse stop by my Squidoo page at Visit Marblehead Lighthouse

Point Iroquois Light Station

On a September 2013 trip to Upper Michigan, we made a stop at the historic lighthouse at Point Iroquois.  This light station is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  We had visited Sault Ste Marie in the morning and found that this lighthouse was only 20 miles to the west.

The grounds of Point Iroquois were lovely.  There was a great walking path that took you around the lighthouse and out along the shores of Lake Superior.  In addition to being able to climb the 72 steps to the top of the tower the grounds held a museum that gave you insight into the families that called Point Iroquois Light Station home.

Point Iroquois Light Station was built in 1870 to guide freighters along the treacherous shores of Lake Superior between Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary's River.  In 1902 the originally building was added on to provide more living space.  The complex had room to accommodate the head lighthouse keeper along with two assistants and their families.  This group formed their own community complete with a schoolhouse and teacher for their children. 

I really enjoyed my time strolling around the lighthouse grounds.  Here is a photo I took as I walked along the path near the lake.

It shows the complex with the addition housing areas.

Stop by my Squidoo page to hear about more of the lighthouses we visited on this trip Michigan Upper Peninsula Lighthouses

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McGulpin Point Lighthouse

My husband and I were in Mackinaw City visiting the popular Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse when I saw a sign for another lighthouse nearby.  We followed the signs a short distance out of the city and came upon a delightful lighthouse called McGulpin Point lighthouse.  This lighthouse is beautifully restored and has been furnished in the décor of the times.  The grounds are lovely and visitors are welcome to climb the tower and tour the house.   I first photographed the lighthouse from the parking area and then went inside to learn a bit of history about the light and then I climbed the tower for a view of the area.

  I discovered that this lighthouse was among the first in the area and helped to guide ships through the Straits of Mackinac.  The shipping had dramatically increased with the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and by the 1850's there was a real need for lighthouses in the area.  Congress approved the plans for McGulpin point lighthouse in 1854 and it was lit for the first time in 1869.  It was in service until 1906 when it was no longer needed because of the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

After visiting the lighthouse and the gift shop, I decided to take a walk down the trail in back of the lighthouse.  I had seen the "Big Rock" advertised so I wanted to walk to the water to see what it was about.  The trail was only about 1/2 mile but it was on a rather steep incline at times.  It was a beautiful walk down through the woods and ended up on the shore of Lake Michigan.

When I got to the shore and found the rock, I was surprised.  It was literally just a big rock.  The rock is said to be 33.8 feet in horizontal circumference and weighs 54 tons.  Other than the size there was really nothing remarkable about it.  I took a look and enjoyed the view of the Mackinac Bridge in the background and then made my way back up the hilly trail.  I was able to capture this photo of McGulpin lighthouse on my way back up.

 

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Presque Isle Lighthouses

Located on Presque Isle near Alpena in Upper Michigan you will find two beautiful historic lighthouses. In September of 2013 my husband and I took a drive along the Lake Huron coast and visited these lighthouses. We were traveling along Grand Lake Rd and we found a sign that took us off the main road and onto Presque Isle. When we got to the end of the road we turned right and found the Old Presque lighthouse.

  This lighthouse was first put into use in 1840. It is one of the oldest lighthouses still standing on the Great Lakes. The thirty foot tower is opening for the public to climb from May through October. From the tower you can get a view of Lake Huron and the coastline. The lighthouse is an interesting looking structure and definitely has an old feel to it.  Some people claim it is haunted.

Old Presque Isle Lighthouse

After photographing Old Presque Isle lighthouse we went back up the road about a mile and we came to New Presque Isle lighthouse. New is a rather relative term for this lighthouse which was built in 1870.


The grounds to the lighthouse also include a keeper's house that is not attached to the tower. It was built in 1905 and has been restored into a very interesting museum. There is also a building that now houses a gift shop.

When we arrived at this lighthouse I thought it really looked familiar. The top of the structure and the railings were painted a green color much the same as the Seul Choix lighthouse that I had seen on Lake Michigan. Upon further research, I found they were constructed by the same architect during the same time period. Here is a photo I took of the New Presque Isle lighthouse.  

For more information on my travels to Michigan lighthouses stop by my Squidoo pages at Michigan Upper Peninsula Lighthouses and Lake Huron Lighthouses

Forty Mile Point Lighthouse

On our visit to the Mackinac Island area of Michigan we took a drive out of Mackinaw City to search for more lighthouses. We discovered the above lighthouse, Forty Mile Point lighthouse, along the shores of Lake Huron. It is located approximately forty miles southeast of Mackinaw City. In 1890 the lighthouse board requested this lighthouse to be built to fill in the gap between the lighthouses in Cheboygan and Presque Isle. There was 50 miles between them and that left a dark spot for ships to loose their way along the shorelines. The lighthouse at Forty Mile Point was completed in 1896. We found the lighthouse to be very similar to the one at Big Bay Point, a lighthouse we had visited and stayed in on a previous visit to Michigan. In researching the lighthouses I found they were both built in the same time period. The lighthouse at Forty Mile Point is now part of a park that is open to the public. I was able to walk around the grounds and climb the tower to the lighthouse. There were several interesting out buildings along with a small gift shop. Here is a view of the shoreline from just below the lighthouse.

Stop by my Squidoo pages to read more about my Michigan lighthouse adventures Michigan Lighthouses